Obama in Chicago Thursday for Durbin campaign events

Obama visiting Chicago Thursday for Durbin event

President Barack Obama returns home to Chicago on Thursday to participate in two events for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the White House said. Obama will spend the night in Chicago and depart Friday, it said.

President Barack Obama returns home to Chicago on Thursday to participate in two events for the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the White House said. Obama will spend the night in Chicago and depart Friday, it said.

Durbin, D-Ill., the assistant majority leader in the Senate, is seeking a fourth term against Republican state Sen. Jim Oberweis in the Nov. 4 election.

Obama is to attend a 5 p.m. fundraising reception Thursday at the home of Michael and Tanya Polsky and a 6:30 p.m. dinner at the home of Fred Eychaner, according to an invitation to the events.

Eychaner, the founder of the Newsweb Corp., is a top fundraiser for Obama and other Democrats.

Michael Polsky is president and CEO of Invenergy LLC, based in Chicago. The firm develops, owns and operates power generation facilities in North America and Europe, its web site says.

The invitation was sent out by Durbin and Sen. Michael Bennet, D-Colo., who chairs the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee.

The invitation asks $1,000 of reception guests, $10,000 of reception sponsors and $15,000 of reception co-chairs. It asks dinner guests to contribute $17,500 per person, or $35,000 per couple.

Five-figure givers also get a photo opportunity, the invitation says.

The proceeds will benefit Durbin's campaign treasury and the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the invitation says, and due to timing restrictions, guests may attend either the reception or dinner, not both.

The first $2,600 of any person's contribution will go to Durbin's campaign fund and the next $32,400 will go to the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee, the invitation says.

Democrats and Republicans woke up the day after the Illinois primary election to each put on a unified front, and the very places they chose to break bread illustrated the theme of the eight-month campaign that lies ahead.

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